Revilla Grooves & Gear — Local services in Milltown

All aboard the Vinyl resurgence train! Am I right? I would love to say yes, but for the most part it has been a rough time for collectors. In many aspects, this train has caused local record stores to succumb to the destruction of the welcoming and intimate spaces that made collecting such a joy to 'experts in the field.' Instead, local stores are often found inflating prices and misleading the less knowledgeable newcomers. I am making generalizations, of course, but in many aspects it's a fact that many newcomers and veterans have to endure and be weary of. What makes collecting and digging so special is the sense of community you build with your local record store, and this train is on a path to destroy and invert many positive experiences you may have envisioned or have already experienced.

In CONTRAST, Revilla Grooves & Gear stands as a monumental ideal. Positioned on Main street in Milltown, Revilla Grooves & Gear stands between a constantly evolving (and positive) basement music scene in the New Brunswick (10 minutes away) and the quiet suburban life of East Brunswick. While the shop might be new to the area (July '15), the owner, Darren Revilla, is anything but new to collecting and selling vinyl. Passionate, gregarious, trustworthy, and relentlessly helpful, Darren is seen doing anything from troubleshooting technical difficulties, accommodating the needs of his customers, and even recommending great music. While the shop may be on the smaller side, what it lacks in physical size it makes up for in it's reasonably low prices, variety, constant flow of new arrivals, and the perfect use of every square inch of space. Now when I say he uses up every square inch, I mean it. This place is packed with clearly sorted and clean records, and not only that, but ready to buy turntables, receivers, and even speakers.

It's important to note that when you are there to ask Darren for his social media (also available on his website) where he will post important updates. Since Darren is running this shop alone, sometimes hours are inconsistent or not always completely the same as your may think. In addition, some of these important updates include 'Sales', in which a few of his buddies come down for a day and compile their records inside Darren's shop to increase the variety of genres and artists.

I cannot stress enough, the contrast and the standard Darren has set for surrounding record stores. Again, I want to reiterate, this shop is an ideal for new and old shop owners to aspire to. A great place to fuel and fulfill a...

Sometimes it is easier to explain how great a record store is by understanding why other shops are not. Few record stores can touch the quality of the records in the bins of Revilla Grooves. That isn't to say that just the selection is quality but so is the condition. As the popularity of vinyl increases so does the volume of stock in many stores. Most of that stock should have been recycled years ago. Unless a record is so rare that even an off condition copy is valuable you will find very few VG- stock in the bins. This is so important. When you find something you want or better yet, need, to be disappointed by condition is devastating and a waste of time. Revilla Grooves posts new arrivals on Instagram almost daily and each collection seems more impressive than the last. Whether you are a seasoned collector, vinyl junkie or just starting a collection Revilla Grooves is the shop for you. The owner's knowledge and passion for music is obvious and he is always willing to help you find what you want.

If every store was as great as Revilla Grooves I would have been completely...

Recently updated please read entire review. Nice store, great owner! I wish he had a dollar bin. In my opinion every record store should have a dollar bin or at least a $1.99 bin. I would have have brought so many more records if the prices were lower. Nice store though!! I'll go back. To the owner; consider a dollar bin this is a way to flip records quick! (i reviewed this 2 years ago)

UPDATE: As I have continued to frequent this store I realize this is the best record store I have ever been to. As I have grown into a much more serious collector. I am no longer interested in dollar bin records. The records this store has are ALL top quality!! That is what makes this store SO special. Originally, I didn't get it. Now i do! I LOVE THIS STORE. I was conversing with another customer in the store and we both agree that Revilla Grooves and Gear beats "the famous" Princeton Record Exchange easily(hands down). The prices are very fair when considering the quality. Be prepared to spend a few bucks but you won't be disappointed!! THANK YOU REVILLA!!! Keep on...